The award-winning film, Platoon, provides an in detail and realistic portrayal of the incredibly dangerous, cruel, and horrendous conditions that veterans of the Vietnam war were forced to endure during their time in the service. After the conclusion of the movie, I instantly changed the way I thought about the war and gained an immense amount of respect and pride for the men who fought in Vietnam due to the harsh conditions and the danger that the American Soldiers were put through; many of them without a willingness to do so.
Early in the movie Chris Taylor, an enlisted man in the military, outlined the harsh environment and lifestyle that the military men fighting in Vietnam were forced to endure. Chris alluded to Vietnam as hell and clearly outlined his hatred for the place just a few days into his arrival. Chris then alludes to the idea that he made a mistake enlisting in the service and questioned his ability to survive and make it through his one-year bid overseas. While Chris’ hatred for the war and his time in Vietnam was not the only point of view on the war, it seems that there was general disapproval and dislikes for the war by many soldiers who actually partook in it. The platoon made it easy to understand why, understand the hatred of the war and where it stemmed from, and finally provides insight as to why many veterans of the Vietnam war suffer from severe mental health problems as well as physical health problems; a heartbreaking scenario that many veterans wish they never partook in.
Later on in the movie, the motivations of the soldiers to continue fighting in the war are revealed and that scene enabled me to understand why the soldiers kept pushing their way through. The motivation in the minds of the soldiers was to stay alive, and that life would be easy once they made it home. This idea was likely present in the minds of most soldiers fighting in the war as making it home to their families is typically of utmost importance to men in the service.
Overall, Platoon was an insightful movie that provided a deep and detailed insight into what life for soldiers was like throughout the war and allowed me to understand the utter dislike and disapproval of the war by many Americans, active soldiers, and people around the world.
I really like how you went in depth on the emotions and struggles of Chris and the other soldiers in the movie. I will always believe that veterans do not get enough appreciation, especially Vietnam vets, who suffered so much for a cause with no support.
I agree with you that my perspective on US soldiers in Vietnam also changed after watching the movie. From our very negative class discussions and Zinn readings I had accidentally related the morally unjustifiable actions of the US government with the soldiers themselves. “Platoon” helped me better understand that many of the soldiers were in fact the victims of the government’s actions while being used as a tool to inflict damage on North Vietnam. Still, it is important to remember that the soldiers depicted on screen did quite a few despicable things that shouldn’t be forgiven simply because they were also victims of suffering. The morally disgusting behavior that some soldiers engaged in(murdering and raping in the village) needs to be remembered alongside the courageousness of the other soldiers.